Conclusions

Core Fit offers an insight into the impact of positively-structured core strength exercise and correct technique on children, along with instilling positive attitudes towards exercise and themselves.

Ultimately, core strength should be part of the daily curriculum and a structure for the child’s future.

In any assessment of responsiveness to habitual exercise in a health context, a wide range of issues must be addressed to provide science-based recommendations for use in evidence-informed health care delivery. Issues regarding responsiveness include characteristics of the exercise regimen or dose, as well as characteristics of the response or effect.

In addition to improved physical fitness, increased physical activity can improve mental health, wellbeing and even social/economic outcomes. The effort required for such an improvement goes beyond individuals themselves to involve their family, school and community.

With the need to target children in the habit-forming years, schools provide a favourable setting for performing vigorous physical activity. In some cases, Core Fit empowers the child to challenge their family positively to engage in activity.

Physical activity during childhood and adolescence is thought to positively affect a number of factors related to the risk for chronic disease later in life. While conclusive evidence is still lacking, potential benefits have been observed in some short-term, cross-sectional studies and in controlled interventions involving children engaged in specific physical training programmes.

There is also evidence, in some cases, to suggest that these benefits track into adulthood thereby reducing chronic disease morbidity and mortality. Potential health benefits of physical activity include reduced risks of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Physical activity may also result in enhanced academic performance and psychosocial benefits.

As well as fitness, children need to be able to recall the underpinning knowledge that not only is physical activity important, they need understand their own capabilities and the need for good movement throughout their life course to prevent injury and back pain.